


Waiting Out the Rain

by CityEscape4



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Dragon Ball Fusions, Dragon Ball Xenoverse, F/M, Mutual Pining, Outer Space, Set During DB Xenoverse 2, This fic uses both the DB Fusions game's canon as well as the DB Xenoverse games's canon, Tyber is technically not an OC; He's a side Character from DB Fusions, Zini is my OC, also, but i really enjoyed his design and moveset; so i've sorta.... OC adopted him if that makes sense, this is specifically Time Patrol Future Trunks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:14:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24319399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CityEscape4/pseuds/CityEscape4
Summary: Its not often the Time Patrol and the Galactic Patrol find their works overlap, but the rare time they do, each group sends their best to get the job done. This issue this time is that one of the members of the Time Patrol has a history with one of the members of the Galactic Patrol, and it might hinder their job progress.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character





	Waiting Out the Rain

**Author's Note:**

> This work uses my OC from Xenoverse 1 and 2, [Zini.](https://city-doodles.tumblr.com/post/172178651552/cityescape4-im-just-leaving-this-here-as-a)  
> This work also features an assist character that's a Saiyan from Dragonball Fusions, [Tyber.](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_minor_playable_characters_in_Dragon_Ball_Fusions#Tyber)

With a whirl of light and energy, Trunks and Zini rematerialized back into the Time Nest, Zini slamming down the scroll she'd been holding onto the table. "Damn it!" The sudden commotion caused both the Supreme Kai of Time and the Elder Kai to jump slightly, having seen this reaction coming after watching the two work from another set of scrolls.

"Zini," Trunks cautioned, raising a hand to put on the full blooded Saiyan's shoulder, "It's alright, we'll get them next time."

Zini turned her head to look at Trunks, the demi-Saiyan a full head taller than she was, piercing dark blue eyes gazing into Trunks' own blue. Zini's lips pursed into a thin line, before she sighed, hanging her head, black bangs covering her eyes. "We almost had them this time, though." Her hands curled into fists, and she shook her head. "They're getting bolder with each change in time, and with Mira and Towa pulling their strings, who knows what they'll do next?"

"You're right; Turles and Lord Slug are not to be taken lightly," the Supreme Kai of Time said, walking towards the pair of Saiyans, resting a hand on top of one of Zini's fists, "but thanks to your hard work, we know that Towa is baiting them with fruit from the Tree of Might, and promising them each that they can take out Goku, in any of the timelines that they invade." She then tilted her head a bit, smiling at the young woman who'd saved Toki Toki City from Demigra's wrath years ago. "But we've got people looking out in each timeline, promising young rookies who can handle themselves and anything Mira and Towa throw their way. With the information you've gathered, we're a step closer to capturing them."

Zini was quiet, but knew the Supreme Kai of Time was right. Exhaling through her nose, she nodded, looking down at her boss. "Thanks, Supreme Kai."

"Of course!" The Supreme Kai of Time exclaimed, patting Zini's hand. "Now, to relax and unwind, how about I make us some lunch?"

A pang of fear bolted through everyone in the room, Zini swallowing harshly before clearing her throat, stammering somewhat. "A-Actually, I made plans to eat with Pinich today, Supreme Kai, sorry."

"Yeah," Trunks piped up, "I was tagging along with them, Supreme Kai, but we appreciate the offer!" With that, Zini and Trunks began to walk off, sparing themselves of the Supreme Kai's notoriously bad cooking.

"Aww, alright." The Supreme Kai of Time's expression withered as her two best patrollers walked away, before turning her gaze to the Elder Kai, the smile returning to her face. "Looks like it's just you and me for lunch, old man."

A frightened look overcame the Elder Kai, who then stammered himself. "W-What's that? It's about lunch time!? Oh, I need to head down to the school and teach those rookies a thing or two! Can't be late for that!" With that, the Elder Kai ran, hoping to get away from what was bound to be a bad lunch.

* * *

Walking in the Recreation Plaza of Conton City, Zini and Trunks gave a sigh of relief, having spared themselves the horror of the Supreme Kai's cooking.

"That was close." Trunks murmured, looking towards Zini as they walked. "Quick thinking with that Pinich excuse."

"It wasn't an excuse." Zini said without looking at Trunks, a smirk coming to her as she watched a figure eagerly approach from the air. "I really did have lunch plans with Pinich."

At that, Pinich flew in, landing in front of Zini and Trunks with his hands on his hips, his cape flowing behind him. "What's up, guys?" He asked, giving a wide, toothy grin. "Off the clock?"

"For now." Zini replied, folding her arms. "Thanks for meeting up with me. Haven't seen you in a while."

Pinich shrugged, the grin never leaving his lips. "Ehh, you know me; Hanging out with Wanta and Paprika, training with Master Vegeta, just doin' the usual." With that, he looked to Trunks. "How's the job goin'?"

Trunks frowned slightly, a hand going to his chin. "Well, we've been having trouble apprehending Turles and Lord Slug, and we're concerned about their working with Towa and Mira, who we thought we'd defeated years ago." His gaze traveled to the ground as he continued to speak, "With Mira and Towa back to their old schemes, it's only a matter of time before they pull something big."

Pinich nodded as he listened to Trunks, and he smirked. "You'll get 'em! My rival wouldn't let some bad guys get the best of her, right Zini?" He held out a fist then, waiting for her to bump it.

Her fist soon came into contact with his, and Zini gave a smirk as well, nodded. "Right."

They pulled their hands away from each other's, and Pinich's smirk melted into a playful smile. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry! Let's get something to eat!"

Zini chuckled, and soon the three of them walked around the Recreation Plaza, each grabbing a bite to eat. They were quick to find a table in the Business District so they sit and eat, Trunks having bought them each 2 burgers a piece.

"I have money, you know." Zini had offered, but Trunks shot her down.

"It's my treat," he'd said, exchanging the Zeni for two bags of burgers, "For inviting myself into your's and Pinich's plans."

Zini had shrugged, and Pinich just grinned, happy he wasn't the one who had to pay for lunch.

As the trio sat and ate, they talked about what all they'd been doing since they'd seen each other last, Pinich telling of his training with Vegeta, of his adventures in space with Wanta and Paprika. Zini told of her recent missions, as well as her attempts at training other Time Patrollers, much to her dismay. She'd never been a good teacher, and it was never more evident than when Supreme Kai of Time and the Elder Kai tried getting her to be one. Trunks told of his help and upkeep around Conton City, how different it was from managing Toki Toki City, but in a good way. He told of his missions with Zini, and of rookie patrollers that showed great potential.

As Pinich took a bite of his second burger, he looked over at Zini hesitantly, the move not going unnoticed by the female Saiyan. "What?" She asked, causing Pinich to swallow his bite of burger.

He gave a smile, but their was a worried look to it, and he looked away for a moment, before speaking. "You haven't heard from Tyber recently, have you?"

At the mention of Tyber, both Zini and Trunks froze, Zini being quick to recover and bite into her burger. Trunks looked at her warily, knowing that her relationship with Tyber was a rough spot for the Toki Toki City Hero. 

But Zini seemed unfazed, simply chewing and swallowing her bite of burger, looking down at it before speaking. "Nope." She said, exhaling through her nose after a moment, "Why should've I?" While her expression seemed neutral, there was a tinge to her voice that made both the other Saiyans seethe slightly, Trunks and Pinich sharing a look of concern. Trunks shot Pinich a glare that said, 'End it. End the conversation, please.' And Pinich took it in stride, shrugging and shaking his head.

"No reason," He replied, taking another bite of his burger.

"I mean," Zini looked over at Pinich, her expression untranslatable, sending a shiver of worry through the student of Vegeta. "You're the one who brought him up for some reason." She put her burger on its wrapper on the table, folding her arms and looking at Pinich pointedly. "Why are you wondering if I've heard from Tyber?"

"I..." Pinich felt trapped, the stare of his childhood friend making him feel like he'd been cornered. "I..." he looked at Trunks for help, and Trunks shook his head just slightly, enough for it to go unnoticed by Zini, but still give its intended meaning to Pinich: 'Just end it here.' But as much as Pinich wanted to just end the conversation there, he sighed, knowing he couldn't hide anything from his best friend and rival. "I was wondering because he hasn't written me back for a while, and I'm just, kinda worried, you know?"

Trunks inwardly groaned, and shook his head slightly, knowing Pinich had just made a mistake. Zini, on the other hand, looked at Pinich incredulously, her head tilting somewhat as she processed what he'd said. "You've been writing him? ... Wait, he's been writing you _back?"_

Pinich nodded. "Yeah." He felt like he was making a mistake admitting this, like he was digging a grave, but whose it was, he couldn't tell. "I haven't heard from him in like, 3 months? I used to hear from him every other week." 

Zini gaped at Pinich, Trunks pinching the bridge of his own nose as he shook his head. What had Pinich just done?"

"I.." Zini closed her mouth, an indescribable noise leaving her as she exhaled through her nose, and she took a bite of her burger, the move sharp and angry.

"Zini?" Pinich asked.

"I'm fine." She replied insistently, her mouth full. She swallowed her bite and looked down at her burger. "I haven't heard from him since the four of us last hung out." Pinich and Trunks both seethed again, knowing that was over a year ago. "But no, I haven't heard a word from him. Probably too busy with his Galactic Patrol work." She took another rough bite of her burger, her tail unwrapping itself from her waist so it could coil and uncoil itself repeatedly in irritation. Her last line at been spoken with a bit of snark, though she opened her mouth again, speaking with it still full. "Though he can't be too busy if he's been writing you every other week."

Pinich was unsure of what to say then, Trunks attempting to speak up, "Zini, maybe--"

"Ahem."

All three Saiyans were quick to turn their heads to the sound of a foreign voice, their gazes lowering until they were met with the sight of a small, humanoid alien in an Galactic Patrol uniform.

"Jaco?" Trunks asked.

"Greetings," Jaco began, looking at the group of Saiyans before turning his attention to Trunks specifically. "Might I have a word with you, alone?" He leaned in slightly then, bringing a hand to the side of his mouth, whispering to Trunks, "Super elite business, and whatnot."

Trunks nodded and excused himself from the table, walking a little bit away with Jaco, leaving Zini and Pinich alone to talk.

"Hey," Pinich said, putting his burger down and looking to Zini, "Listen, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no, you're fine." Zini insisted, swallowing her food and shaking her head. "I just..." She sighed, putting her burger back down too, and drummed her fingers against the table. "Maybe if I heard from him or saw him more than, I don't know, once a year, at maximum? Then maybe things would be better between us."

"Have things gotten worse between you?" Pinich asked, legitimately concerned he'd opened up some old wound that Zini had healed on her own.

Again, she sighed. "No, how can they when I never see him?" A huff left the young woman, her tail wrapping itself back around her waist. "... I just don't know what to say at this point."

"I do." Pinich said, a small smile overcoming him. "You still got feelin's for your ex and you don't know how to handle it."

Zini's face flushed red, blue eyes growing wide at Pinich's words. "I-I do _not!_ We broke up ages ago, and don't call him my 'ex'. I can't stand the term. We're just friends."

Pinich was about to tease Zini somewhat, when Jaco and Trunks approached the table. Both Pinich and Zini looked towards them, and Trunks looked apologetic. "Sorry, but we're gonna have to cut lunch short, Zini."

Zini blinked, the red having begun to die down from her face. "Why?"

"We might have a lead on Turles and Lord Slug."

At that, Pinich and Zini shared a look, and Zini pushed the remainder of her burger over to him, which Pinich happily took. "What are we waiting for then?" Zini asked, getting up out of her seat. "Let's head out."

"Sorry," Jaco spoke up, wagging a finger at Zini, "But we've got to wait for another Galactic Patroller. This job's more than enough for a super elite like myself to handle, but Turles is hopping through both time and space, so I need the assistance of you Time Patrollers, since with the exception of the Time Patrol, time travel is a serious violation of Galactic Law."

"Alright." Zini said with a frown, not wanting to wait for something as serious as a sighting on Turles. "So when's your other guy getting here?"

"He should be here soon." Jaco said, "He'll probably park by my ship, so let's head there." 

Trunks and Zini both nodded, bidding Pinich goodbye as they walked with Jaco towards his spaceship, the alien having parked his Galactic Patrol ship in the Bamboo Forest district of Conton City. There was a small clearing by a lake where he'd parked, and the group of three waited there, Zini breaking the silence.

"So where're we going? And who are we waiting on?" She asked.

"Well," Trunks began, folding his arms, "Jaco said he'd gotten word of weird activity on a distant planet called Raika, and when the Galactic Patrol sent members to investigate, they found a large tree, sucking the life out of the planet."

"The Tree of Might..." Zini murmured, her hands clenching into fists.

"Yes, exactly." Jaco replied, pulling a tablet from his ship and swiping his finger across the device as he spoke. "The Galactic Patrol was swift in their response of evacuating the few denizens of the planet, though when they tried to acquire the fruit the tree bears, they were stopped by a Saiyan and a Namekian."

"Turles and Lord Slug." Trunks confirmed, he and Zini nodding at each other.

"Now," Jaco continued, giving a _'hmm'_ as he stopped swiping at his tablet, "As for _whom_ we're waiting on, it happens to be this Galactic Patroller." Jaco then turned the tablet around, showing the face of the man they were waiting on to arrive.

Zini's blood went cold.

Dulled yellow eyes stared at her from the picture on screen, belonging to a tanned man, in a dark purple and black colored version of the Galactic Patrol uniform, its insignia clear on the chest of his purple armor. Short black hair covered the top of his head, and there was serious look on the man's face, that she was all too familiar with.

"It says here he's a Saiyan," Jaco spoke, "and that his name is Tyber."

Trunks looked to Zini, who couldn't take her eyes off of the screen. "W-Why him?" Zini stammered somewhat, cursing herself mentally for the falter in her voice. "Why can't we just go now?"

"Orders from higher up." Jaco replied curtly, looking displeased with Zini's impatience. "Apparently he's one of the best in the the known Galaxy. He's almost impressive enough to be a super elite like myself, from what I hear." Jaco pulled the tablet away, and set it back in his ship. "I've only met him a handful of times, and don't know him very well.

"We do." Trunks spoke up. "He's... a friend."

"Oh, good, this should make things much less awkward then." Jaco said, nodding somewhat. "I dislike having to be paired with other people, but if both you and... Zini, you said her name was?" A look of recollection overcame Jaco at that, and he smirked. "Ah, that's right, you're the Toki Toki City Hero. I've heard of you. Well, if the two of you speak highly of him, then everything should be fine."

"Yeah," Zini said, standing upright and folding her arms, her gaze not meeting Jaco's. "Fine."

Frowning, Jaco looked at Trunks, putting a hand to the side of his face so he could whisper to the half-blood. "Is there something I'm not reading here?"

Zini sighed Jaco's words, the humanoid alien not exactly whispering the quietest. "Tyber and I were once... together. We got together before I started working with the Time Patrol, and afterwards, my work schedule and his work schedule just became too different and demanding for us to be together." She lowered her gaze then, a look of genuine regret overcoming her. "We tried everything to make it work, with the exception of one of us giving up our jobs." Her hands curled into fists for a moment, before she forced herself to relax, instead drumming her fingers on her arm. "I wasn't about to abandon Toki Toki City, and I wasn't going to let him give up a job he loved."

At her words, Trunks put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Zini..."

"I'm fine." She said insistently, speaking a little too quickly. She exhaled out her nose, and raised her gaze up to meet Trunks'. "I'm fine." She said again, this time calmer, and more collected. "I just don't like talking about it."

"Well, if your personal life is going to get in the way of this mission--" Jaco began, sounding dismissive already.

"It's not." Zini growled, not liking Jaco's attitude.

"Well good." Jaco bounced back, giving a nod up to the sky, "Because here he comes."

Zini paled then, her and Trunks turning to look and see a ship identical to Jaco's descending from the sky, a black-haired individual visible in the cockpit. Swallowing harshly, Zini shrugged Trunks' hand off of her shoulder, gripping her own arms tight. 

After landing on the ground, the sound of the ship's engine shut off, and the glass dome was that was the roof of the cockpit popped open, Tyber rising out of the ship, and flying over to where the others were gathered. He was wearing his Galactic Patrol armor, complete with matching black pants and dark purple gloves, and a pair of black and purple boots. "Jaco, sorry I'm late. There was an issue with some of the people we evacuated, and I--" In his talking to Jaco, he'd looked up from the super elite to see Trunks and Zini staring at him, and stopped speaking, his voice getting caught in his throat. "I.... Hi."

Trunks raised a hand in greeting then. "Hey, Tyber." The two were about the same height, Tyber having the slightest edge over Trunks by an inch or so.

Tyber raised a hand in response, before looking over at Zini, a small, genuine smile curling at the edges of his lips. "Zini." His tail was hanging loosely behind him, as opposed to curled up around his waist like Zini's was.

Zini exhaled, and nodded in response, her face expressionless and unreadable. "Tyber."

The air was thick with unspoken tension, Jaco giving a small groan, raising a hand to his head as he did so. "Alright, so. We need to head to Raika asap. The sooner we get there, the better chance we have in taking out our enemies."

"Right." Trunks agreed with a nod. "So whose ship are we taking?"

"Whose?" Jaco asked, "What do you mean, whose? We're going to have to take both."

"Both? Why both?" Zini asked, tilting her head some.

"Because each ship only holds enough room for three people." Jaco explained, using his fingers to count off. "The pilot, a passenger, and a cargo space that we use for when we have a second suspect we're bringing in. It's against Galactic Regulations to have more than three people on a ship, so since there's four of us, we'll need to split up."

Zini did not like where this was going.

"I'll go with--"

"I want Trunks with me." Jaco interrupted Zini, whether it was intentionally or unintentionally, Zini had no clue, but she cursed him internally. "I work best with people I already know, and I've known him and Bulma for quite a while." Jaco pointed a finger at Tyber and Zini then. "You two. Don't let your history get in the way of this mission." Tyber and Zini both flushed red at the accusation, both of them immediately defending themselves, but Jaco raised a hand. "I don't want to hear it. I don't need a blemish on my elite record just because you two Saiyans have a history. Try working out your issues or something on the flight to Raika. Now come on, we've got no time to waste."

* * *

Initially, the ride to Raika was quiet. 

Zini sat in the passenger's seat behind Tyber's pilot seat, watching him from behind as he flew the ship. He hadn't changed much at all since she'd last seen him, to which she wasn't surprised. She hadn't changed much in the last year either. She then looked around, noting that he hadn't decorated his ship much. It was pretty barren for the most part, save for 3 picture frames close to the cockpit's controls. She should barely make them out from her position. One was of him with the Galactic King, the head of the Galactic Patrol, a green, octopus like alien with a golden crown on his head. One was recent, a picture from when she'd seen him last; one of him, her, and Pinich laughing with one another, just like the old days.

And the third picture...

She couldn't help but smile at the sight of it. It was an old picture, from around the time they'd first gotten together. The two were looking out into the sky of a random planet, which one was lost to her after all these years. Zini was in a black, sleeveless jacket with a baggy, long-sleeved blue shirt, and black Gi pants with a blue belt, and Tyber was in a black leather jacket with a purple undershirt, and long black pants. His arm was around her shoulders, his tail around her waist. The memory, while somewhat faded, was a fond one.

She'd been so focused on the picture, that it took her a moment to realize Tyber's chair had spun around, and that he was looking at her. She recoiled in her seat, and folded her arms, glaring at him. "Aren't you supposed to be flying the ship?"

"I put in the coordinates manually. We're on auto-pilot right now." Tyber responded calmly, looking over to where Zini had been looking. Upon matching her previous gaze to the picture of the two of them, his cheeks flushed somewhat, but he kept his calm demeanor. "I found that photo while going through some stuff from our time in the TimeSpace Tournament. It's from one of our break days where we didn't worry about training for the tournament. I think Oats took the picture."

Zini allowed herself to smile then, recalling the white haired human martial artist. She was part of their team in the TimeSpace Tournament all those years ago, and was both a loyal ally and friend. "I haven't heard from her in a long while."

"I haven't either." Tyber admitted. "Its been a while since I've talked to anyone in our old group, honestly."

Zini frowned at that, remembering Pinich's words. "Pinich said you'd been writing him."

Tyber blinked, then nodded. "Yeah, but that was months ago. I lost his last letter and haven't written him back yet."

"Yet you still wrote him."

An exhale left the Galactic Patrolman. "Yes, I did."

Zini gave a _'hmph!'_ at that, and leaned back in her chair, her gaze not meeting Tyber's. 

Things grew quiet between the two for a short while, before Tyber spoke again. "If we're going to face Turles and Lord Slug, we need to think of various combos and tricks we could use to disorient them."

Zini was silent, but after a few moments, spoke up. "Do you still make barriers with your Ki?"

Tyber looked towards her at that, and nodded. "Yeah. I've gotten better with it over the years. I've made stronger, larger barriers. Not just around me, but around anyone I choose. They stay in place for a good while, so long as I concentrate on them." He smirked then, an uncharacteristically cocky look coming to the male Saiyan. "I bet I could even hold up against your Hyper Galick Gun now."

"I don't use Hyper Galick Gun anymore." Zini said, crossing one leg over the other. "I mainly use melee attacks now. My best techniques are my Ki blade, my mimicry of Android 18's Deadly Dance, and my Meteor Crash."

"Ki blade?" Tyber asked. 

At that, Zini unfolded her arms, extending her right arm in the air beside her. She then exhaled, and shortly after, her arm from her elbow down was coated in her Ki, forming at a tip at her fingers, like the blade of a sword. "I've learned the technique by watching Sauza and Vegito, and worked on it to make it my own." With a flick of her wrist, her Ki blade dissipated, and she folded her arms again. "I can control the length of the blade for up to about 5 feet."

Tyber looked impressed, and opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of Jaco's voice.

"Tyber, you there?"

Tyber was quick to turn in his chair, reaching for the radio comm that was attached to the ship. "I'm here, what's going on?"

"We're here."

Zini and Tyber both looked out the glass dome and took in the sight of a sickly gray planet, looking like the life was being sucked out of it. "We've gotta get down there, and fast." Tyber said into the radio.

"Yeah," Came Jaco's voice. "We're headed down, follow us."

As they descended onto the planet, the group found a clearing by some dead trees to park their ships at, the four patrol members exiting out of their respective ships.

In the distance, they could spot a Tree of Might, looming high above the rest of the treeline. "That must be where Turles and Slug are," Trunks said. "We'll have to keep out power levels low if we want the element of surprise; Turles has a scouter."

"We'll have to fly close to the ground." Zini agreed, "This way we won't tip him off this time."

The group of four nodded, and all began flying low to the ground, using the dying trees as covering to hide themselves. As they approached the base of the Tree of Might, they looked up, seeing a cave-like hole higher up in the trunk of the tree. The patrol members all looked at one another, and Zini frowned. 

"I don't like this." She murmured. "I can't sense their Ki."

"Me either." Trunks echoed, looking upwards. "I don't know if they're here."

Tyber frowned as he too failed to sense anything. "Well, what's the plan then?"

"Well," Jaco sighed, shaking his head. "This mission was a bust. They've destroyed the planet with this tree and have already moved on. We're too late."

"Wait," Trunks lowered his gaze back to the group, his expression inquisitive. "Do you think they've already harvested the fruit the Tree of Might bears?"

The three other patrol members looked at one another at the question, before Tyber spoke up. "Let's find out."

The four then flew up the side of the tree, into the opening in the trunk, landing on the ground of the opening and looking around. The wood around them was dark and black, but sturdy, hearty. As they investigated, Trunks called the others over when he found a vine like substance, picked clean. "They must have the fruit."

"We need to find them, now." Zini said, turning to leave the Tree. As the four patrol members flew out, Tyber, Zini, and Trunks tensed, looking up quickly as they suddenly sensed a powerful Ki, only to see the devilish grin of Turles.

"Meteor... Burst!"

Purple Ki enveloped the patrol members, blasting all around them and knocking them all down into the ground below. Pain blossomed through Zini, and she pushed herself up, taking an offensive stance as Turles lowered down to the ground.

"Why, if it isn't the warrior who defeated Demigra." Turles spoke smoothly, his arms folded against his Saiyan armor. "And here I thought we lost you after our last encounter in space and time."

With a yell of power, Zini rushed Turles, only to be attacked from the side by Lord Slug, the evil Namekian having rushed her first. Zini growled as she was knocked to the ground again, and got back up, taking a more defensive stance this time, her gaze flickering back and forth between Turles and Lord Slug. She'd get them this time, they weren't getting away again! Extending her arm, she let her Ki form into a blade, extending the blade as far as she could. Spinning like a top, she forced her Ki blade to collide with both Turles and Lord Slug, knocking the duo backwards.

"Zini!"

Trunks's voice came from her left, and she turned her head to see him with Tyber and Jaco in tow, the trio flying towards her and the evil duo. Upon seeing them, Lord Slug opened his mouth, a laser of Ki exploding from his mouth and hitting Trunks, Tyber, and Jaco head on. Zini's eyes widened in shock, only to relax as she was the familiar blue-ish green of Tyber's barriers, protecting them from the blast.

"Don't take your eyes off me, woman!" 

Conjoined fists collided into the back of Zini's head, Turles having gotten the upper hand on her due to her distraction. He slammed her into the ground, then dug his foot into her back, pushing her into the ground further. "You should learn to keep your eyes on your opponent."

"Get off of her!" A Ki blast hit Turles in the face, Trunks having gone Super Saiyan, rushing Turles after shooting him with a Ki blast.

Tyber was quick to kneel by Zini's side, worry laced in his expression. "Zini, are you--"

"I'm fine," She coughed, as she pulled herself up, using the back of a hand to wipe away at blood from the corner of her mouth. "Worry about Lord Slug!"

At that, Tyber nodded, flying back towards Jaco, who'd been skillfully dodging Lord Slug's strong but slow attacks. Tyber was quick to charge up his Hyper Twin Cannon, firing two energy beams from his hands, aiming them for Lord Slugs' back.

Knowing Tyber and Jaco had Lord Slug, Zini powered up to Super Saiyan herself, and flew to Trunks' aide in fighting Turles, Trunks having trapped the Crusher Corps Saiyan in his Heat Dome Attack, yellow energy surrounding Turles and launching him up into the air. Zini was quick to adapt, using her Deadly Dance technique on Turles while he was falling, a combination of swift kicks that left little room for the enemy to respond.

With a flip, Zini kicked Turles downwards, sending him crashing into the ground below.

"Go help Jaco and Tyber," Trunks said, "I've got Turles."

"Alright." Zini nodded and rushed over to Jaco and Tyber, who were struggling with Lord Slug. Jaco had out his ray gun, and was shooting energy beams at Lord Slug, but they seemed to be inaffective, the beams seeming to do little more than bruise him. Tyber, on the other hand, was firing off Destructo-Discs that were also seeming to be ineffective, merely ripping the evil Namekian's clothing, but no more than that.

It was then that Zini flew in, sending a flurry of punches his way, Lord Slug smirking and using his arms to dodge them. Incorporating kicks into her flurry of attacks, Zini gave a yell of rising power, her jabs and kicks speeding up with every passing second. It didn't take long for her to overwhelm Lord Slug, a powerful kick sending him flying. Jaco and Tyber watched on in amazement, but as Lord Slug got up, brushing himself off, the three patrol members recoiled, Jaco speaking. 

"What's it gonna take to keep this guy down?!"

"I don't know," Tyber said, "But we have to keep trying."

A power Ki was quickly approaching them, Zini realized, looking in the direction the Ki signature was coming from. When she saw Turles, but no sign of Trunks, Zini's eyes widened, watching as Turles took a bite of the fruit, his power skyrocketing, his fist crushing the fruit now that he'd taken his fill of it. Turles had his gaze on Tyber, who was distracted, still talking to Jaco.

"Tyber, look out!" Zini rushed to Tyber's side, pushing him out of the way of--

"Meteor... Burst!"

The last thing she heard was Tyber and Trunks calling out her name, and then everything went black.

* * *

The first thing Zini registered as her senses came back to her was that she _hurt._ Her body ached, and on top of that, she was cold and wet. A groan escaped her as she tried to sit up, her body screaming at her to stay down, but a hand at her shoulder stopped her, and she tensed. Who...? As her vision began to settle, she tensed upon seeing a purple glove, a hook of nerves curling in her stomach.

"It'd be best if you stayed down," Came Tyber's baritone voice, calm and even. "You're in pretty bad shape."

Zini gave a _'tch'_ and reluctantly laid back down, closing her eyes. She was quiet for a few moments, an uncomfortable silence settling between the two of them. Feeling awkward, she spoke up. "...What happened out there?"

"The enemy over-powered us." She felt Tyber take his hand off of her shoulder then, "You were knocked out, and Trunks moved to get you, but was stopped by Lord Slug. Lord Slug then sent himself and Trunks flying, and Jaco went to retrieve them. As for Turles, he came for us, but I managed to make a large enough barrier around him to trap him, and brought you here, out of sight from him so that you could try to regain some strength." She opened her eyes then and looked toward him, only to see him sitting beside her cross-legged, looking at her, his yellow eyes filled with concern. Zini made a small, strangled sounding noise at the sight, and quickly turned her head away from him, doing her best to hide the rushing heat to her face. 

"We would have been fine if _you_ had paid attention." Zini barked, irritation flowing through her as she tried to settle herself down, wanting the warmth from her face to die down. Her only response was a low _'hmm'_ from Tyber, and she regretted her words, sighing. "... I shouldn't have said that."

"No, you're right." She heard him say, hearing him get up. She looked towards him then, watching as he walked towards the mouth the cave they were in, and noticed it was raining. He stood there, his tail dangling behind him as he watched the rain. "I should have been more careful."

"Tyber--" Zini began, seething as she sat up.

"You focus on you." He cut her off, then sighed, raising a hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose, not looking back at her. "Try and gain back some strength, and we'll go find Trunks and Jaco after the rain's passed."

Zini opened her mouth to speak, intent on making a rebuttal to his 'focus on you' comment, when she felt a lump in her wristband, prodding at her wrist. Using one hand, she dug into the wristband on her opposite arm, and pulled out a capsule she'd tucked away, smirking at her find. "Perfect."

"What?" Tyber asked, turning around to see her sitting up. "Zini, I told you--"

She held up the capsule to show him it, before clicking in on the top part, the capsule poofing into a small box. Opening the box, Zini pulled out two senzu beans, tossing one to Tyber. "Eat it. You're probably not in great shape yourself."

Frowning, Tyber looked at the small, green bean. "What is it?"

Instead of answering, Zini popped her bean into her mouth, chewing on the hard medicine, it crunching loudly inside her mouth. Tyber made an unamused face at the noise, but watched as she swallowed, and jumped up, perfectly fine. "Zini?"

Zini popped the box back into capsule form, stowing it awayt in her wristband before stretching out her arms, then hopping on the balls of her feet, moving her legs around. "That's much better."

Tyber looked at the senzu in his hand, and slowly placed it in his mouth, chewing slowly before swallowing. His eyes widened as his body felt refreshed, all his aches and pains were gone, feeling back at 100%. "What _are_ those?"

"They're called Senzu Beans." Zini said, leaning from side to side as she stretched out her body, getting her blood flowing after being knocked out. "Earth grows them, and we get a set supply from the tower they're grown in every once in a while. They're rare though, and take a while to grow, so we ration them into energy capsules." Zini patted her wristband then. "I only had the two for this mission, so we're on our own from here on out. Now," She began walking towards the mouth of the cave, and moved to step out into the rain, "Why don't we just go now?"

"Don't!" Tyber warned, but his warning came a bit too late, Zini stepping out into the rain and immediately yelping as each rain drop caused her pain, ducking back into the cave.

She was only a little wet, but her eyes were wide as she regained her composure, looking to Tyber then. "What the hell?"

"The rain's super charged with electricity." He explained, shaking his head. "It started to rain while I was flying from Turles, so I ducked in here, where it was safe."

Zini blinked in surprise, wondering how Tyber managed to fly in _that_ and rubbed at her arm, looking out towards the rain. "Here's hoping Jaco and Trunks are at least in a better positin than us. I can't sense their Ki."

"I can't either." Tyber walked to Zini's side then, also looking out at the rain. "I can't sense Turles or Slug either. I can't sense anything, but you."

"Well we can't stay here until the rain dies out," Zini snapped, walking back into the heart of the cave. "There's gotta be something we can do."

"Our best option right now is to wait." Tyber replied, a bit of exasperation in his voice. He turned his back to the mouth of the cave to watch her as she tried exploring their current dwellings. "The cave is a shallow one, there's a back wall but that's it. We're stuck here for now."

"I'm going out there to find them."

"Zini, no."

Zini frowned and turned around to look at Tyber. "You can't keep me here."

"And you can't fly for more than five minutes in that rain." Tyber shot back, folding his arms and stepping forward. He sighed then, and shook his head. "Listen, I don't want to fight. Let's just wait out the rain and then we'll find them."

Zini stepped forward too, curling her hands into fists. "I'll be fine, you wait here if you want." She then walked past him, intent on heading for the mouth of the cave, when she felt a strong hand wrap around her wrist.

"I can't let you go out there." Tyber's gaze narrowed. "You don't have any more of those beans to heal you after being exposed to that rain for so long."

Zini looked at his hand, then glared up at him, the Galactic Patrolman having a good extra head's worth of height on her. "... Let go of my arm, Tyber."

The two glared at each other, and when she tried to pull her arm away, Tyber pulled her back in, close enough to him that the two were mere inches apart from each other. Keeping their gazes on each other, Zini reared back her other arm, curling her hand into a first that she had every intention of slugging Tyber with, but the elder Saiyan was quick, using his other hand to grab at her wrist before her fist made contact with his face. Growling, Zini began powering up, intent on overpowering Tyber through sheer force if she had to, wind and energy whipping around her. 

Tyber growled too, tightening his grip on Zini's wrists. She could see the resolve in his eyes, and angry blue eyes peered into steely yellow, when his expression faltered, his grip slowly loosening. Confused by this, Zini stopped powering up, and pulled her wrists out of his grasp, but didn't make any motion of moving out of the cave. Instead she folded her arms, a huff escaping her. But before she could speak, could ask him what his issue was, he spoke. "Can I kiss you?" The words took a minute for Zini to process, and blinked, tilting her head slightly as her brows furrowed.

"...What?"

"Can I kiss you?"

The question was spoken simply enough, but Zini found herself frozen to the spot, her mouth feeling like it was going dry. There was a bundle of emotions curling up inside her, and it left her feeling internally confused and panicked. Tyber's face was in such close proximity to hers, his gaze not meeting hers, rather fixating on her lips.

"Is this really the time?" She questioned, her voice coming out hoarser than she intended it to. She mentally berated herself for the show of weakness, her hands curling into fists, shaking her head slightly and clearing her throat before speaking again, this time more confidently. "We're on a mission!" There was more anger in her voice than anything, the emotion being one she defaulted to often when she didn't know how to process what she felt. Though as much as she wanted to push him away... she didn't. Her gaze momentarily dropped from his eyes to his lips, only to quickly snap back up to his eyes again, which in turn, rose to meet hers. 

She could feel the heat rushing to her face, and exhaled slowly through her nose, dark blue gazing into dulled yellow. There was something in his gaze she couldn't quite place. Hesitancy? Anxiety? Desperation? Whatever it was, it sent a pang of concern through her, and before she could stop herself, she unclenched a fist, raising her hand to cup the side of his face. "I..." She sighed again and shook her head. "Tyber, this isn't... We shouldn't..." It was taking everything she had to keep her voice steady and even. but she couldn't bring herself to flat out say no. 

She'd _missed_ him. 

As much as she didn't want to allow herself to admit it, she'd missed him so much. She knew they broke up on good terms, and she tried telling herself that they tried, they couldn't make it work, and that was the end of that. She was thankful to still have him in her life, but if it didn't work, why try again? The only outcome was being hurt all over again. And damn, did she hurt after they'd split. She'd assumed she'd hidden it well at first, but when Trunks and Pinich both talked to her about it separately, she felt ashamed, like it was a weakness to show she'd missed him. Trunks was concerned because all she did was work and work and work and ran herself ragged with Time Patrol missions. Pinich could tell through sparring with her that she wasn't focused, that as much effort as she put into training, her mind was always on something else.

And yeah, maybe she tried coping by burying herself in her work, and maybe she'd gotten a little scatterbrained during spars, but she was _fine._ She didn't need them worrying over her, or their pity. She didn't need them, or Tyber, or anyone! She didn't--

The heat came rushing back to her face as Tyber leaned into her touch, letting his head rest in her hand, and the feeling of his tail loosely wrapping around her leg didn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks, either. "I know," he spoke, his voice soft and gentle, quiet like his words were only for her to hear. He turned his head inwards towards her hand, and gently kissed her palm, closing his eyes for a moment before looking back at her, "I've just missed you, is all." He murmured.

Zini's eyes widened at that, and she gulped slightly, not being able to find her voice. The emotions that had been bubbling inside of her began to boil over, and her heart _hurt._ "I..." _I've missed you too,_ she wanted to say, but when she finally spoke, those words failed to come out.

"Who do you think you are?" She asked instead, her voice trembling with anger and confusion and sadness, her grip on the side of his face tightening somewhat, though Tyber seemed to not care. "Who do you think you are," she repeated, her hand beginning to tremble as well, "thinking you could do this to me again?" In her mind's eye, she recalled the first time they were in a similar predicament, during the TimeSpace Tournament, during their downtime in the spaceship they'd repurposed from Frieza. She'd gone to his room in the ship to talk about fighting combos they could pull off during the tournament and at some point during their conversation, they'd found themselves kissing one another, much to Zini's surprise. She'd always respected him and the way he fought, and she'd have been lying if she said that respect hadn't grown into something else, but never would she have imagined that he'd reciprocated her feelings, or that she'd allow herself to drop her guard enough that she'd act on them in such a way.

Tyber frowned slightly at her words, confusion laced in his expression. "Do what--"

Before he could finish, Zini leaned up, and pulled him down somewhat, meeting him halfway as she tentatively pressed her lips to his, kissing him. Tyber's eyes widened slightly, but before he could do anything else, she pulled away slightly, letting her forehead rest against his. She refused to meet his gaze, however, keeping her eyes closed as she allowed herself to lower her guard, her tail unwrapping from her waist and hanging lamely behind her. 

Slowly, Tyber moved his arms, letting his hands rest at Zini's hips. He then unwrapped his tail from her leg, and just as slowly as with his arms, let his tail slink up to her waist, carefully wrapping around her and pulling her just the slightest bit closer. When she didn't lash out or deny him any of this, he leaned in and kissed her gently, keeping the kiss simple and chaste, before pulling away himself.

Both full-blood's eyes were lidded, gazing at one another, before Zini and Tyber simultaneously leaned in, kissing each other again, this time more fervently and with more urgency than before. Zini used her thumb to stroke at Tyber's face, her other hand falling to his chest, resting against his Galactic Patrol uniform. Tyber's hands remained at Zini's hips, his tail securing its hold around her waist, pulling her closer to him, his thumbs rubbing small circles on her hips. A small noise left him and his brow furrowed as Zini bit gently at lower lip, then sucked on it in apology, her tongue running along his lip.

The two barely pulled away from each other for air before they were back to kissing one another hungrily, Zini's hand at Tyber's face moving towards the back of his head, fingers curling in thick black hair, pushing Tyber more into the kiss. Tyber didn't mind in the least, Zini's forwardness always being something he'd admired about her. He smiled against her lips, one of his hands moving upwards to the small of her back, resting comfortably there. Zini wasn't sure who'd instigated it, but the two started moving, until Zini's back was against the cave's wall, the younger Saiyan trapped between it and Tyber. Not liking the corner she'd been pushed into, she bit his lip again, a little more roughly this time, as if to say, 'How dare you?'

But Tyber wasn't fazed, the elder Saiyan breaking the kiss for a moment's breath, only to reclaim her lips with his own, the two kissing heatedly once more. Their tongues, warm and wet, traced over one another's, Zini playfully flicking her tongue against his before he made the move to suck on hers in retaliation, and the young woman moaning softly into his mouth, the vibrations sending a chill down Tyber's spine, causing him to moan in response. 

Tyber was so caught up in the moment, he almost failed to notice the feeling of something slinking around his leg, wrapping itself around the limb. When he registered in the back of his mind that Zini had been comfortable enough to not only loosen her tail from her waist, but to wrap it around him? A pang of emotion went through his chest, and he broke the kiss, the two Saiyans panting as they reclaimed their lost air. Tyber looked down at Zini then, watching her as she panted, her eyes closed as she reveled in their actions and licked her lips, her head tilted back against the cave's wall, exposing part of her neck.

A stab of something primal surged through Tyber at that, and heat rose to his tanned face, realizing just what it was that surged through him just then.

There was a primal sense of want, desire, a craving that was begging to be served, but he reserved himself, simply leaning in and pressing a simple kiss to Zini's reddened cheek. "We should..." Tyber was surprised at how hoarse his voice was, and he cleared his throat, speaking again. "We should stop while we're ahead."

Zini's eyes opened somewhat then, and she tilted her head forward, looking up at Tyber with hazy blue eyes. "I don't..." Her voice was hoarse too, and she shook her head slightly, not understanding. "Why?"

The hand at the small of Zini's back moved upwards, cupping her cheek, his thumb brushing against her reddened lips. "Because," he began, his eyes closing as he spoke, "I don't think I'll be able to control myself if we continue."

His words, as well as the thumb against her lips, sent a chill down Zini's spine, one that was strangely welcomed. She pressed a kiss to his thumb, her gaze playfully narrowing, "And what? You think I wouldn't be able to stop you?" She was the stronger out of the two of them, this wasn't news to either Saiyan. But when he opened his eyes after she'd spoken, she saw a hunger in them that she'd never seen before, one that caused her to shiver.

"I'm serious." Tyber warned, leaning in and pressing his forehead against hers, "I don't think you understand just how much I've missed having you in my life."

"You underestimate me." Zini murmured, her hands moving to rest at his shoulders. "You think I don't think about you every goddamn day?"

"Zini..." Tyber closed his eyes, his tail's hold on her tightening somewhat, "I--"

Both Saiyans tensed as they felt two different Ki draw near, the pair pulling away from each other and gazing out the mouth of the cave, Zini's tail quick to wrap around her waist once more. It was then that they both realized that the rain had stopped, and neither could recall when it had.

Though as the sets of Ki grew closer, both Zini and Tyber relaxed somewhat, as Trunks and Jaco came into view.

"Hey!" Trunks called out, waving at the pair. Zini waved back at her partner, stepping out of the cave as she placed a hand on her hip. Tyber was slow to follow, looking back into the cave as he exited it, brushing a thumb against his own lips, before turning around to face the others, watching as they landed in front of them.

"That weird rain finally let up." Trunks spoke, folding his arms as he looked to Zini. "You doing alright?"

"Yeah," Zini replied, nodding. "I brought along a few Senzu Beans, and took one after I woke up." She then looked back and forth between Trunks and Jaco. "Where did you two go?"

"We managed to find shelter at the ships." Jaco stated matter-of factly, "We would have come out to find you both sooner, but the electric rain was interfering with the ship's systems."

"Yeah," Trunks agreed, nodding. "After we got separated, Lord Slug flew off and disappeared before I could get him. But I managed to get the fruit away from him."

"You did?" Zini asked incredulously.

Again, Trunks nodded. "It's safe back on Jaco's ship. We can take it to the Supreme Kai of Time for examination."

"I wouldn't put it past Towa to have used her magic to taint it somehow." Zini murmured, a hand going to her chin as she spoke. "Turles ate and destroyed his fruit, so we weren't able to get it."

"That's fine; We have the one, at least." Trunks said.

"We better get moving, then." Tyber said suddenly, looking out at the dying planet. "We don't want to be trapped here if it starts raining again."

All three of them looked to Tyber, and agreed with him. "Right."

* * *

The entire ride back to Conton City was a quiet one. 

Neither Saiyan spoke throughout the entire time in space, both their minds running rampant with different thoughts, from the loss of planet Raika, to the mystery of Turles and Lord Slug's whereabouts, to their little tryst in the cave, both Saiyans were heavy-minded, to say the least.

When they arrived back in Conton City, however, after exiting Tyber's ship, Zini watched as Jaco and Trunks began talking to one another, and leaned against the outside of Tyber's ship, folding her arms and leaning her head against the metal. She said nothing as Tyber stepped out of his ship and stood next to her, watching the same sight she was.

"You know," Tyber began, letting his tail swing back and forth slowly, "I owe you an apology."

At that, Zini blinked and frowned, picking her head up off of the side of the ship. "Apology?" She asked, looking to Tyber, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What for?"

"I didn't thank you for looking out for me back there." Tyber replied, not taking his eyes off of Trunks and Jaco, who seemed to be deep in discussion about something. "So I'm sorry, and thank you."

A red tint dusted Zini's cheeks, and she scoffed, looking away from Tyber. "That's no reason to... tch, it's fine."She stood up straighter then, her mind wandering as she replayed their last moments in the cave in her head again. 

"Hey, Tyber?"

Tyber looked at Zini then, tilting his head somewhat. "Yeah?"

Zini looked down at the ground for a moment, before raising her gaze to meet his. "What were you going to say before Jaco and Trunks found us?"

Now it was Tyber's turn to turn red, and he exhaled slowly, looking away from Zini. "Ask me again after you stop Towa and Mira." he said, folding his arms. The red was slowly leaving his face, and he looked back at Zini, smiling gently. "I'll tell you then."

"Ahem?"

Zini and Tyber both turned their heads to look and see Jaco standing before them. "Are you two done talking? We need to head back to base, Tyber."

"Right." Tyber nodded, then looked to Zini. "I guess this is goodbye, then."

"I'll see you after I beat Towa and Mira." Zini said, smirking. "Don't you forget it."

Tyber smirked himself, placing a hand on Zini's shoulder. "I won't." He gave her shoulder a squeeze before letting go, and looking back to Jaco. "I'll start getting the ship ready to go." With that, Tyber turned on his heel, and jumped back into his Galactic Patrol ship.

"You know, for what it's worth," Jaco said, looking at Zini before he turned around himself, and began walking to his ship, "You're as good a fighter as he claims."

Zini blinked at that. "He talks about me?"

"He'll bring you up in stories every once in a while." Jaco said, the small alien looking over his shoulder as he walked away. "You Saiyans are always so battle hungry." Zini laughed lightly at that, watching as Jaco entered his ship. 

Trunks walked over to Zini, and the two waved Jaco and Tyber goodbye, watching as their ships rose into Conton City's sky, and eventually vanish beyond the clouds. Zini lowered her hand, and placed her hands on her hips, unable to tear her gaze away from the sky. She licked her lips slightly, and bit down on her lower lip as she thought of Tyber's words.

"--ini? Hello? Earth to Zini?"

At the sound of Trunks' voice, Zini shook her head, being pulled out of her thoughts. "Yeah?" She looked up at Trunks then, and was slightly taken aback by the unamused look he was giving her. "...What?"

Frowning, Trunks folded his arms, looking Zini in the eye. "Alright, spill. What happened between you and Tyber?"

Zini frowned herself, glaring at Trunks. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Listen, I've known you for over seven years now," Trunks began, unshaken by Zini's glare, "I know you and Tyber have history. I just wanna make sure you're ok."

Sighing, Zini dropped her stance, and shook her head. "Nothing happened that's worth worrying about, Trunks. I appreciate the concern, but really, I'm fine." It wasn't a complete lie; while her and Tyber's way of spending time during the rain was none of his business, she really was telling the truth. "In fact," she began, turning to walk to towards the Time Nest, "I feel better than I have in a while." She let a hand reach up, her fingers tracing her lips momentarily, before pulling her hand away and looking back at Trunks. "Let's go stop Turles and Lord Slug, and find Mira and Towa."

**Author's Note:**

> This entire fic was just an excuse to write my oc kissing my other, semi-oc. I'm so sorry.


End file.
